Formatting an RSS Reader widget

For an image of a RSS Reader widget and steps to add one to a document, see Defining a RSS Reader widget.

The table below lists the different aspects of the RSS Reader widget that you can format, and describes how and where to format them in MicroStrategy Web. The steps can be performed in Flash Mode. They can also be performed in Interactive Mode if the widget has been defined to display as a widget in DHTML, and DHTML is enabled in Web. For instructions to determine how the widget is displayed, see Determining how a widget is rendered in non-Flash modes. For instructions to enable DHTML, see Enabling DHTML in MicroStrategy Web.

What to Format in the Widget

How to Format it

Add a title to the RSS news feed

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the General tab.

  3. Type in a title in the RSS reader title field. This title appears in the top right of the widget.

  4. To format the color of the title, select a color from the RSS reader title color palette.

  5. Click OK to save the changes.

The web address of the RSS content displayed in the widget

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the General tab.

  3. Type the web address of the RSS content in the Default RSS Field.

  4. Click OK to save the changes.

The frequency with which the widget refreshes its content

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the General tab.

  3. Type the refresh frequency in seconds in the Default refresh frequency (Sec) field.

  4. Click OK to save the changes.

Number of RSS feed items to show on one page of the widget

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the General tab.

  3. Type the number of items in the Items shown at a time field.

  4. Click OK to save the changes.

Open the entire article in a new window when an RSS item is clicked in the widget.

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the General tab.

  3. Select the Open full article when clicked check box.

  4. Click OK to save the changes.

Allow the widget to display RSS content that is located on a different Web domain than the one used for MicroStrategy Web

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the General tab.

  3. Select the Use Proxy check box.

  4. Click OK to save the changes.

Background color of the widget

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the General tab.

  3. From the Background color palette, specify the background color of the widget.

  4. Click OK to save the changes.

Border color of the widget

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the General tab.

  3. From the Border Color palette, specify the border color of the widget.

  4. Click OK to save the changes.

Area occupied by the news items

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the NewsItem tab.

  3. From the drop-down list, select General.

  4. In the Percentage height occupied by the news items list field, specify how much of the total area the list of news items occupies.

  5. Click OK to save the changes.

Determine whether news items scroll automatically

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the NewsItem tab.

  3. From the drop-down list, select General.

  4. To allow news items to scroll automatically, select the Auto Scroll News Item List check box.

  5. From the Auto Scroll Direction drop-down list, specify the direction in which news items automatically scroll by selecting Up or Down.

  6. From the Auto Scroll Speed (Sec) drop-down list, specify the speed in seconds at which the news items scroll.

  7. Click OK to save the changes.

Font and font size of news items

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the NewsItem tab.

  3. From the drop-down list, select Fonts.

  4. From the Font Type and Font Size drop-down lists, select a font and size, respectively.

  5. Select the Italic and  Bold check boxes to display the text in italics and bold, respectively.

  6. Click OK to save the changes.

Color of news items

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties.  The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the NewsItem tab.

  3. From the drop-down list, select Colors.

  4. To display the news items with alternating colors, select the Alternating color for news items check box.

  5. From the drop-down list, specify whether to format the Background, Rollover background, Font, or Rollover font.

  6. Once you select an aspect of the news items to format, from the color palettes, select the two colors in which to display the news items.

  7. Click OK to save the changes.

Determine how news articles that have been read are displayed

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the NewsItem tab.

  3. From the drop-down list, select Colors. From the drop-down list, select Read Articles.

  4. To ensure that news articles that have been read are displayed in a separate color, select the Mark as read check box.

  5. From the color palettes, select the color in which to display all articles that have been read.

  6. Click OK to save the changes.

Format the font of the news details section

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the NewsDetail tab.

  3. From the Font Type and Font Size drop-down lists, select a font and font size.

  4. From the Font color palette, select a font color.

  5. You can also select the Italic and Bold check boxes to display the text in italics and bold, respectively.

  6. Click OK to save the changes.

Background color of news details section

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the NewsDetail tab.

  3. From the Background color drop-down list, select a color for the background of the news details section.

  4. Click OK to save the changes.

Determine whether the details of the first news item are displayed by default

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the NewsDetail tab.

  3. To display the details of the first news item when the widget is initially opened, select the Show the first item by default check box.

  4. Click OK to save the changes.

Determine whether the time and date of a news item are displayed when you hover the cursor over it

  1. In Flash Mode or Interactive Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The RSS Reader dialog box opens.

  2. Select the NewsDetail tab.

  3. To determine whether the time and date of a news item are displayed when you hover the cursor over it, select the Update item detail on rollover check box.

  4. Click OK to save the changes.